It is part Woodstock, part pilgrimage; part celebration, part penance; it is the Kumbha Mela, a happening that is beyond imagination and comprehension.

It is a microcosm of India, yet people come from all over the world to witness the festival described by the Guinness Book of Records as "the largest number of human beings to ever assemble with a common purpose, in the entire history of mankind."

Many go in their best attire; some attend in loincloths, while others have on nothing at all but holy ash. The faithful murmur their prayers, while magicians create a world of illusions. The sounds of snake charmers mingle with the sound of conches. The powerful riding atop caparisoned elephants mingle with naked recluses who emerge from their Himalayan caves – all to participate in a ritual held in accordance with their belief that the water will free them from the endless cycle of death and rebirth and wash away their sins.

For two millennia, Hindus have gathered where the Ganges and the Yamuna rivers meet. According to their tradition, this is the holiest of four sacred sites.

According to Hindu mythology, gods and demons that were waging a war realized they needed holy nectar to achieve immortality and victory. The gods churned the sea and drew out the nectar. One of them made off with the pot, spilling drops on 12 spots, four of them in India, and the rest in the heavens.

Described by Mark Twain and the 7th century Chinese traveler, Huen Tsang, the Kumbha Mela has been celebrated since before the second century BC. This year’s celebration will be held during parts of January and February, and will undoubtedly be describes as a scene of biblical proportions, as millions of people wend their way down to the holy water to purify their souls.